By Kathryn Warner, PACT’s Director of Communities Services and Development
As we mark International Women’s Day 2026, I’m pausing to reflect on the extraordinary strength, resilience and compassion I see every day in the women and families supported by PACT.
It feels especially fitting, on a day dedicated to recognising women’s achievements and rights, to shine a light on the ways PACT’s services create space for women not only to survive, but to grow, connect and rebuild their lives.
Across Alana House, Bounce Back 4 Kids (BB4K) and our adoption support services, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing women claim their voice, rediscover their confidence, and take courageous steps toward safer, more hopeful futures. Each journey is different, but they share a common thread: when women are supported, believed in, and given the tools they need, transformation happens.
At Alana House, we meet women who have endured more than their share of difficult situations – whether that’s trauma, unsafe housing, financial difficulty, or the weight of simply not feeling seen whilst trying to navigate through systems that are not set up to meet their needs. What strikes me most is how quickly empowerment begins when a woman is welcomed without judgement.
Alana House provides that anchor. It’s a place where women build practical skills, receive specialist support, form friendships, and slowly begin to imagine a different future for themselves and their families.
But perhaps the most powerful part of Alana House is its sense of community. Women tell us again and again that walking through the door feels like taking a breath – a space where they are safe, respected and understood. Watching women grow in confidence, reclaim independence and celebrate personal milestones, however small, remains one of the most rewarding parts of our work.
International Women’s Day also reminds us that far too many women and children still experience domestic abuse – its impact reaching deep into emotional, behavioural and family life. Through BB4K, PACT supports mothers (and some fathers) and their children in their recovery, supporting them to move positively forward through giving them practical and emotional tools to rebuild.
What stays with me most when I think of our BB4K groups is the courage of the families. The courage and determination of mothers showing up each week, even when they’re exhausted; the courage of children finding words for feelings they’ve never understood; the courage of choosing healing, even when it feels unfamiliar.
The bond between a recovering parent and child can be incredibly strong. We see women finding reassurance in knowing that healing is possible and that they don’t need to navigate it alone. And we see children smiling again, playing again, beginning to trust again. This is empowerment in its purest form: giving families the chance to thrive after trauma.
Adoption transforms families, but it also requires immense strength, particularly from women who navigate the emotional complexities of becoming an adoptive parent. The women we work with bring extraordinary openness to the process: a willingness to learn, to reflect, and to embrace children whose early experiences have often been marked by loss and instability.
What I admire most is their honesty. Women regularly tell us that adoption has changed them in ways they didn’t expect. It has deepened their empathy, broadened their resilience, and strengthened their sense of purpose. Through therapeutic support, training and lifelong services, PACT walks alongside families long after placement, recognising that adoption is a lifelong journey.
And that journey is made richer by the remarkable women who step forward to offer love, stability and belonging to children who need it the most.
International Women’s Day isn’t only a celebration, it’s a reminder. A reminder of the work still needed to create a world where women are safe, supported and valued. A reminder of the power of community and compassion. And a reminder that when women are empowered, entire families and communities grow stronger.
At PACT, we are proud to stand with women at every stage of their journey, whether they are rebuilding after trauma, strengthening bonds with their children, seeking a fresh start, or choosing to open their homes and hearts through adoption.
Today, we celebrate their courage, their perseverance, their hope, their futures.
And we reaffirm our commitment to walking beside them, every step of the way.
